Cut to the Chase

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 1 JAN 2007

While everyone's heard the phrase, author and former CEO Levine (The Six Fundamentals of Success) contends that few really understand the power of his title. In more than 99 short but simple rules, Levine helps readers "speed up," "be direct," "meet smarter," "move forward" and "cut back," among other imperatives. Practicing what he preaches, Levine makes his points with concise, direct advice and short chapters: Levine backs Rule 78, "Weed out your reading pile," with a primer on developing a "core reading list"; in Rule 37, "Tell them if the baby is ugly," he demonstrates why readers shouldn't put criticism on the back burner; and he allows Rule 58, "Recognize when it's all been said," to speak for itself. In other areas, Levine provides snappy ways to deal with toxic coworkers, find more balance in work and home and confront all the distractions and time wasters of daily life. Though much of Levine's advice amounts to good common sense ("Look at the big picture"), and some to cliche ("Trust your gut"), Levine's breezy, humorous take makes these reminders genuinely memorable.